


My life as a background X-Man

by AusKitty



Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: F/M, Im mixing timelines so I can have my favourite characters together, Minor Character Death, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, everyone from X-Men:First Class is alive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2018-12-04 17:48:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11560269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AusKitty/pseuds/AusKitty
Summary: You hate your mutation, its useless and life destroying. With a little help from your friend Hank McCoy you hope to become a useful member of the X-Men.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ok... so heres the thing- I have a total crush on Nicholas Hoult's eyes... its really what started me on this fanfic- the result is not as good as I hoped for- I'm still working on it and there are some sticky emotional scenes I want to add. The original Female Character- Freydis- is purely fictional and comes from my imagination. 
> 
> I do not own any of the other characters, I make no money from this work.

Freydis Ferreira, also known as Snake Charmer or to those with a meaner mindset Last Kiss Freydis, stood at the main entrance of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters watching as Logan and the rest of the A-list headed off to save the world again. It saddened Freydis to know her mutation was one of the more useless ones. 

A flicker between her slightly parted lips and she scented the Professor somewhere behind her “You know, your mutation may feel useless, but it could lead to untold scientific breakthroughs. It isn’t a total loss, and with more training you could be a valuable asset to the team.”

The Professor had been prying in your mind again, you didn’t mind so much. He was supposed to know about your feelings, particularly as your body temperature greatly influenced your mood, and if your mood was off you were liable to bite. That reminded you of why they called you Last Kiss Freydis and your heart sank a little lower. 

Your mutation began appearing in your late childhood and by the age of thirteen you had developed a set of retracting hypodermic fangs and an unhealthy case of venomous saliva. By your fifteenth birthday you had a groove in your tongue that allowed a second, slimmer forked tongue to extrude itself to catch particles in the air to transfer them to a modified Jacobson’s organ in the roof of your mouth. You were fine with most of the changes, you could live with the fangs and the tongue; it was the scales and the venom you detested most. 

The scales came when puberty hit- the levels of hormones that would usually have left you with thicker, darker hair, instead gave you scales. The tiny, fine, almost translucent scales that ranged in colour from auburn to black. They started in your hairline and proceeded to make their way down to the nape of your neck leaving what hair remained sparse and unruly. You no longer had eyebrows or eyelashes, just fine lines of dark brown scales that set you apart from all the other girls you knew. You didn’t even want to think about the rest of the scales you had.

Shaking your head you replied “I don’t know Professor, seems like there could be a whole lot more to life than wondering if I will ever be able to kiss someone without killing them, and most snakes don’t seem to have much more on their minds than their next meal.” You jerked one corner of your mouth in a half grin, “that or how beautifully their scales shine, or how much moulting sucks. So it’s not like I can get much advice from them on the subject.”

Nodding in agreement the Professor came forward a little more into your peripheral vision, his hands folded neatly in his lap as he extended his mind outwards. “I’m sure that the more we learn about your particular mutation, the more we can begin to find solutions to your current questions. After everything that happened to you before you came to our school, you deserve some measure of happiness.” 

~~flashback~~  
You were sitting in Miss James’ Biology class when the whispers started. You could hear the boys behind you muttering to each other in the way that boys did when egging each other on. You had three older brothers; you knew the sound of a dare in the making when you heard it. Suddenly you felt the back of your t-shirt tent out as nimble fingers pulled your bra strap back and TWANG! It hit you with a burning force against your back. Whipping around in your seat, you opened your mouth to tell Billy Haynes to keep his grubby hands to himself when a fine mist descended on him. Billy gasped in shock and suddenly you knew that something terrible had happened. Billy’s face turned red, then his lips started to turn blue. With both hands across your mouth you got up and ran for the door crying.  
~~end flashback~~

The Professor smiled sadly and wheeled himself backwards “Perhaps some time in the lab with Hank would help to soothe your nerves, you two seem to work well together and I believe he forgot to sleep last night, so taking him coffee would be a great excuse to go visiting.” 

You turn to go back into the mansion, a small smile playing around the corners of your lips “Coffee sounds like a good idea. I wonder if he has classified the samples I gave him yet, couldn’t hurt to go get an update I suppose.” 

*** 

In the lab you slide a large mug of steaming hot coffee next to Hank McCoy as he peers down the microscope in front of him. You gently waft the steam from the cup towards his face and receive a smile and the most piercing blue eyes you have ever seen look deeply into your muddy hazel ones. “Professor thought you might need one, looks like you have been up all night again.” You nod your head towards the piles of files and computer printouts on the surrounding the work benches. “You need a hand to file these or you still using them?”

Wrapping both hands around the cup Hank breathes in the scent and rolls his shoulder joints one by one until they pop. “I may have made some headway in the identification of your toxin activity types, but what I found interesting is that there seems to be a difference between your spray venom and your bite venom. Of course I would have to do more testing and that would mean more samples…” Hank took a sip of his coffee, closing his eyes to enjoy the flavour profile in greater depth. 

You take a seat on a stool nearby and pick up a printout of Presynaptic neurotoxins and Haemostatic system toxins, each with its individual toxicity score and handwritten notes in the margin. Reading Hank’s scrawl has become easier in the last few weeks as you have been spending more time with him in the lab than you have with the other students in the classroom. 

“More samples? Like an oral swab compared to a bite sample or a spray sample? So you can see if there are higher levels of a particular toxin type in each” you ask brow crinkling in a frown as you debate the need for more samples. Hank nodded over his coffee cup and turned his eyes to you humming agreement. 

“Just three more, then we can really get down to business.” Hank’s smile and partly lidded eyes reassured you somewhat and you sighed getting up to retrieve the sterile containers for the samples. “Oral swab first, milk the bite sample and then a spray job? I’m getting better with my aim; I can usually get an accurate hit with the stream if I’m within ten paces of my target now. The misting is still a work in progress.” 

You quickly take the samples and label each with the type, time and date before logging the information into Hank’s computer. Touching the scientists arm gently before leaving you grin at his distraction. Hank is an A-lister, his physical mutations controlled by the serum were considerable, his mind an even greater asset. The fact he chose to stay behind and research your mutation was testament to his huge heart and smiling from the doorway you wonder if that is why your hearth thudded a little harder whenever he was around.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You argue with Alex.  
> Hank makes a breakthrough.  
> You should really write to your mother.

Logan and his team were back, you could taste the blood on his uniform before he entered the room. You didn’t recognise any of the multiple blood groups as those of the X-Men, but it didn’t stop you from getting up from your seat to check on the others. “Bathroom! Now!” you demanded “Shower and toss your suits in the laundry hamper, I’ll clean them for you.” Logan grimaced at you before nodding his head and stalking towards his room. 

Alex, Sean and Armando looked at you with shock as the others wandered towards their rooms, they stopped to stare at your face, your lips parted and tongue flickering inquisitively. “Freydis, you don’t need to…” Alex started and stumbled to a halt as you narrowed your eyes to slits. 

“You forget I can taste the injuries, even under the suits Alex. I know Sean is bleeding and you have bruises that won’t fade for at least a week. Armando thankfully isn’t too bad- but you are all in need of a hot shower to relax at least.” Your scowl has the two younger men sprinting for the stairs as Alex faces up against you.

“I don’t need you to tell me that I need a shower, and I’m perfectly capable of cleaning my own suit thank you very much!” The blonde pushed his hair back out of his eyes, his fingers tangling in the strands matted together with dried sweat as you stalked forward, the look on your face steely and blank. 

“Alex Summers, if you don’t go and shower this minute the little kids will walk out here and see you, bloodstains and all. I don’t want them to be exposed to that and neither do you. You’re tired, sore and frustrated…” your tongue flickered gently and wafted his particular scent into your senses, your eyes suddenly softening as you laid a tentative hand on his arm. Lowering your voice you hesitate before finishing “It was a bad day, there is nothing we can do to change that. But you can let me take care of the suit while you try and unwind. Let me help you Alex.”

Grunting and walking off without saying a word Alex made his way to the stairs and slowly trudged up them with his head down. A handful of younger students walked past you as you watched your friend retreat up the stairs towards the dormitories. You hadn’t tasted Alex with such sadness in his skin and you wondered exactly what had happened to make him so miserable today.

*** 

You took the suits to the laundry room and started cleaning them carefully. Thank whatever gods were listening that you knew how to deal with bloodstains thanks to your brother’s careless antics and your mother’s insistence that a good housewife and mother should know how to clean fabrics from all stains and discolouration. Thinking of your mother you realize you haven’t written to her in over a week, something you promised you would do while you were away at school. You consider calling her instead but you don’t really want to deal with her concern over your grades and the lack of progress with controlling your mutation. You decide that instead you will write her a letter later and focus on the laundry under your hands.

The suits were designed and maintained by Hank, he was so clever at putting these things together you had no fear of damaging the fabric with your scrubbing. Your tongue flickered over the stains as you cleaned each, ensuring you didn’t miss any microscopic traces of blood or sweat. You knew it would gross most people out, but your ability to taste these things was something you relied on heavily to get through the day, so why not put it to good use? 

You feel the air stir and your tongue goes into overdrive, tasting the air around you- you pick up subtle hints of acid, printer ink and a softness you have labelled ‘Hank’s Fur’ despite the fact he is as smooth as any other human you know. “Hey Hank, I’m almost done here. Did you need me for something?” you say without turning. 

You feel Hank’s hands on your shoulders and the thrum of static electricity sparks off his skin, dropping the last suit you turn to face the excited scientist with a look of concern.   
“They are different! Two complete toxin effect signatures and one that is a blend of the two. You have two separate sets of venom glands; we might be able to work something out to control them!” Hank hugs you suddenly and you feel your face flush with colour, his excitement contagious. Pulling away you grin at him, tongue carefully flickering, and your lips curled to hold any accidental spray from touching the air.

“Hank, that is amazing, so what are they and what can we do with them?” your eyes shine with tears of joy as you contemplate kissing the man, but your fear takes over and you pull further away. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll finish up here and come find you.” You turn back to the last suit you were working on and chide yourself for even thinking about kissing Hank. There is no way the older man was interested in you, you could taste his desire whenever anyone mentioned a certain person, so you knew it would ever be reciprocated.


	3. Chapter 3

You were returning the boys suits when you next ran into Armando (you quickly remind yourself he prefers the name Darwin) sitting quietly in his room looking over a tattered paperback. The boy smiled at you as you held up the freshly laundered suit with a grin. “Whatever material Hank made these from, they are a joy to clean. Never had anything react quite the way these do. I had yours done in no time. Alex’s and Logan’s on the other hand…” you raise an eyebrow and smile.   
The boy who called himself Darwin patted the bed next to him, inviting you to join him as you waxed lyrical about the suit you would never have the opportunity to wear. Flickering your tongue you don’t taste anything untoward in his scent, a tinge of curiosity stained your cheeks as you handed him his suit and perched on the edge of his bed, ready to run if the boy got too close. 

“Freydis, can I ask you something?” He turned slightly so he was facing you, his relaxed disposition made you smile and nod your head. “I heard one of the other kids call you Last Kiss Freydis, is it true you can’t even kiss a guy without him dying?” 

You stiffen and become very still, your eyes widen and your tongue dances between your teeth, flickering and tasting nothing but relaxed curiosity and concern from Darwin. Tears spring to your eyes as you remember your first kiss…

~~Flashback~~  
You are standing in the crawlspace beneath the bleachers during lunch break, Bobby Mack had asked you back there as a dare and all his friends were waiting for you to take him up on it. You had had a crush on Bobby for weeks, you knew you weren’t his type- you were quiet, almost timid and your hair was a drab shade of brown, not the pretty honey colour of the cheer leaders he tended to favour. Standing in a circle around you were half the basketball team, four cheer leaders and Bobby. 

He was standing right in front of you, daring you to make the first move. “Come on Freydie-cat, give me a kiss, just a little smooch on the lips and then we will let you go.” Bobby looked around at his friends with a joking grin. That grin widened as you stepped in and gave him a chaste peck on the cheek and tried to dart past him to escape. No luck as he grabbed your wrist and the others crowded closer to prevent you from slipping through. 

Bobby laughed aloud and the snickering of the cheerleaders made your skin crawl. You could barely control your tongue as it darted out to moisten your lips. “Bobby, please let me go?” you begged him quietly as he pulled you closer to him. “Just one little kiss, on the lips, and then you can go. I promise.” He looked into your eyes and you couldn’t help but gasp as his lips settled over yours. You melted as his tongue pressed against your lips and before you knew it you were kissing him back. As he pushed you away you retreated and ran from the laughter and taunting, running blindly for your locker before deciding to leave school for the rest of the day and go home to hide. 

The next day your parents kept you home from school. Police came to talk to you- Billy Mack had died overnight from respiratory failure. On his bottom lip were two puncture marks, you were sure it was your fault, but the officers didn’t see it that way, and as a result you gained a new nickname.

Last Kiss Freydis.

~~ end flashback~~

“I don’t want to talk about it.” You clam up and look studiously at the ground. Bobby was the first to make the fatal mistake of kissing her, but he wasn’t the last. In total four boys had fallen to her venom, all while stealing kisses she had no intention of giving. “I’m the unkissable Freydis Snake Charmer.” You murmur, hands clasped in your lap eyes refusing to shed a tear. You feel Darwin’s fingers grip your chin, trying to turn your head to face him. When that didn’t work he knealt down in front of you, his hands placed just above your knees, face lowered close to your ear.

“But what if there was someone, who could change their skin to be impenetrable, or could heal rapidly enough to get rid of the toxins. You could kiss them right? If the venom doesn’t get into the blood stream, it can’t hurt them?” Darwin’s hands gently squeezed your thighs, thumbs massaging in tiny circles. “That means there are at least two people at the school that you could try to kiss, or who could try to kiss you.” 

Your eyes open wider as you taste Darwin getting closer you your face, his breath gently whispering over your tongue and his scent seeping into your mind. He tilts his head as his lips change from soft flesh and skin to some kind of smooth marble, still warm, still pliable but completely impenetrable to your fangs. Before he can make contact you back away, turning your head sharply and the first tear falls as you pull yourself out of his grasp and run for the door.

You aren’t ready for this, you don’t know if you will kill him or not and you don’t want to risk losing a friend, especially not an A-lister with such amazing skills as Darwin’s. You race to your room and lock yourself in throwing up as many mental barriers as you can to prevent nosey neighbours from digging into your thoughts. Throwing yourself on the bed you groan into your pillow. Even if there were someone in this school that you could kiss, you didn’t want Darwin and it sure as hell wasn’t Logan. 

The lips that you dreamed of kissing were sometimes soft and pink, other times they were velvety smooth and blue.


	4. Chapter 4

“It’s not fair.” The small child pouted at you, bottom lip drooping below tear filled eyes. “We said no powers and every time we play hide and seek you always find us all! You have to be using your powers! It’s just. Not. FAIR!” Her voice rose with every word and you sat on the stairs and wrapped a comforting arm around her, pulling her close. 

“Do you want to know a secret?” You whisper into her ear. “I can tell you how to find everybody without using your powers, even if They are using theirs.” Your conspiratorial tone stopped the tears in their tracks. “It will take you a while, but if you work really hard at it, you will be able to find them every time.” 

Talking the little ones through things like petty outbursts was something of a talent for you by now. A year of living in the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters has gifted you with patience, tolerance and a finely tuned sense of justice, particularly for the underdog. Taking the young girl aside you explain to her the rudimentary basis of profiling- the observance of others and the key to hide and seek. As she ran off to practice her newly acquired people-watching skills you smiled as four young men walked up the stairs behind you. 

People watching was something of a favourite past time for you, particularly now that you had a handle on your scenting abilities. The last two months you had been in training for recon and rescue work in the Danger Room. You were mostly paired up with the stronger mutants and rarely with the telepaths- occasionally though you outdid Jean Grey because you could scent unconscious victims and she couldn’t find them telepathically. Watching as Alex, Hank, Darwin and Banshee walked towards the mansion from the corner of your eye you decided that People Watching was on the cards for the rest of the day… particularly if Hank went all Beast while training in the Danger Room.

*** 

“So which one of us do you think she has the hots for?” Banshee grinned at his team mates. “I bet it’s Alex, all the pretty ones like Alex. You know man you really should throw us a bone sometimes, I don’t think I’ve been out on a date since I got here.” Banshee’s grin was contagious, Darwin smiled softly the glint of his perfect white teeth between his chocolate lips un-nerving far too many of the girls at the school. 

“Nah man, Freydis has the hots for someone a lot smarter than Havoc here.” Winking at his friend he wrapped an arm over Hank’s shoulder and whispered conspiratorially “I bet the lucky guy doesn’t even know she has had the hots for him since she first saw him.” Feeling slightly uncomfortable with the conversation Hank shrugged off the other man’s arm and reminded them that they only have the Danger Room for the next hour and a half, he didn’t always enjoy his time in training, but today he needed the physical outlet.

*** 

“What do you mean you need a lab rat? I thought you were against animal testing?” Alex dodged a robot and blasted it on the turn before launching from Hank’s cupped hands to land on a higher level platform. Hank leapt up and swung from the platform to kick another drone from the air, aiming it a safe distance for Alex to shoot it down without harming anyone else in the battle simulation. 

“I wouldn’t normally ask, but I need to get answers I can’t get any other way. It has to be someone that both she and I trust, that is physically attractive to the opposite sex, that isn’t impervious to harm or have an advanced healing mutation and isn’t afraid to put their life on the line for the sake of scientific advancement.” Flipping himself up to the top of the platform Hank rubbed a hand across the back of his neck blushing a little. “In short Alex, it has to be you.” 

Alex shrugs as he blasts the last drone from the air. “Ok Doc, in the name of Science I’ll do it. But I’m telling you now, I’m not going to enjoy it, and I don’t think she will be happy with you when you give her the results.” Hank shrugged and called an end to the simulation. Banshee dropped to the platform and Darwin looked on in confusion “Hey man, we still got thirty minutes left, what gives?”

Hank leapt to the ground and walked away, mind elsewhere as he pondered the situation. He didn’t want his friend kissing Freydis any more than Alex wanted to kiss her, but for science it had to be done. He was the only one he could trust not to get fresh with her, or push the limits of the spray he devised to nullify the effects of her venom. Sighing heavily he waved over his shoulder and retreated to his lab. Why couldn’t he just work out who it was she liked and get him, or her, to do the kissing? 

*** 

Something had happened in the Danger Room, you could tell from the slump of Hank’s shoulders and the tightening of Alex’s body that whatever it was, it was going to change their dynamic. You leave the observation room as Hank walks out of the Danger Room. Training is over for the day and you would rather follow him to his lab and see how he was getting on than watch the rest of whatever training simulation Alex would run.   
Falling in beside him you gently bump Hank’s side with your elbow. “Nice throw in that last manoeuvre, I didn’t think Alex would make it if you hadn’t tossed him out of the way.” Your voice echoes in the corridor, shocking Hank out of his reverie, he smiles lopsided at you and shrugs. You walk in silence by his side until you reach his private lab, Hank pauses in the doorway and waits for his palm and retinal scan to give him access. Touching the tips of your fingers to his forearm you try to gain his attention before he walks into the lab the door sliding closed on you.

Blinking back tears you breathe deeply and turn back towards the Danger Room. Hopefully Alex could give you the answers you were looking for. Hank certainly wasn’t going to be any help in the matter. Why was he so oblivious to you? It wasn’t as if you were affectionate with any of the other young men on campus. Hell you rarely if ever touched anyone that wasn’t either in distress or injured, you never flirted with anyone and the only person you ever hugged was Hank. It was as if he was totally blind to you as a person and could only see you as some sort of scientific problem to solve. 

You kicked your toes against the door as you waited for the boys to finish their allocated time, eyes flicking to your watch as you count down the minutes. When the doors slid open Darwin was the first to catch your eye, looking at the young man who once offered to kiss you simply because he believed that he could be impervious to your venom, you break into agonizing tears of frustration. You feel his soft sweatshirt covered arms wrap around you, dragging you against his firm chest. The scent of his sweat overwhelming your senses, you shut your mouth and turn your face to the side so it isn’t as powerful. Sobbing fitfully you manage to hiccup “Showers now. My room in 20 minutes. Bring beer.” Before you pull yourself from his arms and walk away.


	5. Chapter 5

“It’s not fair.” The small child pouted at you, bottom lip drooping below tear filled eyes. “We said no powers and every time we play hide and seek you always find us all! You have to be using your powers! It’s just. Not. FAIR!” Her voice rose with every word and you sat on the stairs and wrapped a comforting arm around her, pulling her close. 

“Do you want to know a secret?” You whisper into her ear. “I can tell you how to find everybody without using your powers, even if they are using theirs.” Your conspiratorial tone stopped the tears in their tracks. “It will take you a while, but if you work really hard at it, you will be able to find them every time.” 

Talking the little ones through things like petty outbursts was something of a talent for you by now. A year of living in the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters has gifted you with patience, tolerance and a finely tuned sense of justice, particularly for the underdog. Taking the young girl aside you explain to her the rudimentary basis of profiling- the observance of others and the key to hide and seek. As she ran off to practice her newly acquired people-watching skills you smiled as four young men walked up the stairs behind you. 

People watching was something of a favourite past time for you, particularly now that you had a handle on your scenting abilities. The last two months you had been in training for recon and rescue work in the Danger Room. You were mostly paired up with the physically stronger mutants and rarely with the telepaths- occasionally though you outdid Jean Grey because you could scent unconscious victims and she couldn’t find them telepathically. Watching as Alex, Hank, Darwin and Banshee walked towards the mansion from the corner of your eye you decided that People Watching was on the cards for the rest of the day… particularly if Hank went all Beast while training in the Danger Room.

*** 

“So which one of us do you think she has the hots for?” Banshee grinned at his team mates. “I bet it’s Alex, all the pretty ones like Alex. You know man you really should throw us a bone sometimes, I don’t think I’ve been out on a date since I got here.” Banshee’s grin was contagious, Darwin smiled softly the glint of his perfect white teeth between his chocolate lips un-nerving far too many of the girls at the school. 

“Nah man, Freydis has the hots for someone a lot smarter than Havoc here.” Winking at his friend he wrapped an arm over Hank’s shoulder and whispered conspiratorially “I bet the lucky guy doesn’t even know she has had the hots for him since she first saw him.” Feeling slightly uncomfortable with the conversation Hank shrugged off the other man’s arm and reminded them that they only have the Danger Room for the next hour and a half, he didn’t always enjoy his time in training, but today he needed the physical outlet.

*** 

“What do you mean you need a lab rat? I thought you were against animal testing?” Alex dodged a robot and blasted it on the turn before launching from Hank’s cupped hands to land on a higher level platform. Hank leapt up and swung from the platform to kick another drone from the air, aiming it a safe distance for Alex to shoot it down without harming anyone else in the battle simulation. 

“I wouldn’t normally ask, but I need to get answers I can’t get any other way. It has to be someone that both she and I trust, that is physically attractive to the opposite sex, that isn’t impervious to harm or have an advanced healing mutation and isn’t afraid to put their life on the line for the sake of scientific advancement.” Flipping himself up to the top of the platform Hank rubbed a hand across the back of his neck blushing a little. “In short Alex, it has to be you.” 

Alex shrugs as he blasts the last drone from the air. “Ok Doc, in the name of Science I’ll do it. But I’m telling you now, I’m not going to enjoy it, and I don’t think she will be happy with you when you give her the results.” Hank shrugged and called an end to the simulation. Banshee dropped to the platform and Darwin looked on in confusion “Hey man, we still got thirty minutes left, what gives?”

Hank leapt to the ground and walked away, mind elsewhere as he pondered the situation. He didn’t want his friend kissing Freydis any more than Alex wanted to kiss her, but for science it had to be done. He was the only one he could trust not to get fresh with her, or push the limits of the spray he devised to nullify the effects of her venom. Sighing heavily he waved over his shoulder and retreated to his lab. Why couldn’t he just work out who it was she liked and get him, or her, to do the kissing? 

*** 

Something had happened in the Danger Room, you could tell from the slump of Hank’s shoulders and the tightening of Alex’s body that whatever it was, it was going to change their dynamic. You leave the observation room as Hank walks out of the Danger Room. Training is over for the day and you would rather follow him to his lab and see how he was getting on than watch the rest of whatever training simulation Alex would run.   
Falling in beside him you gently bump Hank’s side with your elbow. “Nice throw in that last manoeuvre, I didn’t think Alex would make it if you hadn’t tossed him out of the way.” Your voice echoes in the corridor, shocking Hank out of his reverie, he smiles lopsided at you and shrugs. You walk in silence by his side until you reach his private lab, Hank pauses in the doorway and waits for his palm and retinal scan to give him access. Touching the tips of your fingers to his forearm you try to gain his attention before he walks into the lab the door sliding closed on you.

Blinking back tears you breathe deeply and turn back towards the Danger Room. Hopefully Alex could give you the answers you were looking for. Hank certainly wasn’t going to be any help in the matter. Why was he so oblivious to you? It wasn’t as if you were overtly affectionate with any of the other young men on campus. Hell you rarely if ever touched anyone that wasn’t either in distress or injured, you never flirted with anyone and the only person you ever hugged was Hank. It was as if he was totally blind to you as a woman and could only see you as some sort of scientific problem to solve. 

You kicked your toes against the door as you waited for the boys to finish their allocated time, eyes flicking to your watch as you count down the minutes. When the doors slid open Darwin was the first to catch your eye, looking at the young man who once offered to kiss you simply because he believed that he could be impervious to your venom, you break into agonizing tears of frustration. You feel his soft sweatshirt covered arms wrap around you, dragging you against his firm chest. The scent of his sweat overwhelming your senses, you shut your mouth and turn your face to the side so it isn’t as powerful. Sobbing fitfully you manage to hiccup “Showers now. My room in 20 minutes. Bring beer, lots of beer.” Before you pull yourself from his arms and walk away.

***

Beer, beverage of choice for many young mutants, discovering its numbing and inhibition lowering properties beer became your go-to when you needed to talk. Of course you rarely ever spoke about your fears to anyone beside Hank, but Darwin was always a good second choice. Not that he deserved to BE a second choice, he deserved better, he deserved someone who would love him fully and passionately. Something you couldn’t even begin to imagine.

You slumped against the headboard of your bed, Darwin flopping his long body down to rest his head on your thigh. “So he is still ignoring you huh? Damn stupid genius can’t see what’s right under his nose.” Darwin grumbled as you took a long pull from your third beer. 

“He has no clue Dar, and every time I try and say something he goes off on some other tangent about my venom being ground breaking in medicine, or that there is some new thing I could learn to do. You know he actually suggested cutting out my venom sacs? Surgical removal! Like that would be a cure or something!” you peel the label off your beer, a precaution you started taking after Banshee almost took a sip from your bottle once. Darwin grunts and sips carefully before handing his bottle back to you to slide it on the bedside table. “Maybe we should ask Jean or someone to suss him out, see how he feels? Might just be that he has no clue how to talk to you as a girl, not just a science experiment.” You brush your fingers over Darwin’s hair and wonder if he could be right. With your senses slightly buzzing and the taste of beer in your mouth you smirk. “We should go and ask Alex and Sean over, knock back a few more beers and forget that I’m a freak for a while.” 

Darwin shifted and rolled from the bed “Great idea, lets invite them over, get you trashed and then we can convince you of how amazing you are!” Before you can get to your feet Darwin is running for Alex’s room, shouting over his shoulder “I’ll get the party, you get the snacks!”

*** 

You are drunk. Your lower lip is numb from where you bit it accidently while playing a game of Never have I Ever with the boys. Alex was accommodating and tipped your head back to assess the damage. Since then you have felt a warm flush roll over you whenever he looks your way. Sean had graciously bowed out when his stomach turned on him, leaving just you, Alex and Darwin in your room. Each and every one of you drunk as lords and happy as pigs in muck. 

Darwin giggled and pointed his almost empty bottle at you “Your turn Freydie, Truth or Dare?” You had been picking truth all night and felt bold enough to change your mind “Dare” you stage whisper, raising an eyebrow at the young man before snatching his bottle and tossing back the last of his beer. Alex wriggled uncomfortably and looked from one to the other, eyes narrowing. He knew Darwin well enough to know there was only a few possible dares he would issue. The movement caught Darwin’s eye and Alex steeled himself. “I dare you to kiss Alex, full on the lips!” 

Your eyes widen and tears spring up in them gushing over in silent waves. You stand up and run for the stairs, he should have known better! How could he dare you to do that, he KNEW you liked Hank, he knew you feared kissing and with bloody good reason. You let yourself out into the garden and ran to your favourite hiding spot in the rose garden. You dropped to your knees and cried like your heart was breaking. 

It felt like hours, you had curled up in a ball beneath the old English tea roses and cried yourself to sleep. The dew was settling on your skin and hair when you felt a gentle hand touch your cheek. You open your eyes and see Alex leaning over you, sadness in his eyes, and the tiny hint of a smile on his lips. “I didn’t think I was that bad, but given that you have history with kissing I agree he was a dumbass.” You rest your hand over his and smile “I was the dumbass, I should have gone with truth.”

Alex helped you up, putting a steadying arm around your waist, his face just inches above yours. “What if you could kiss someone? Is there anyone in particular you would like to kiss?” You look into his eyes, so kind and reassuring, before nodding your head. “Do I know him?” his face inched closer to yours, his arm tightening on your waist, pulling you up and in towards him. You nod again and close your eyes, praying you can control yourself and not bite or breathe the venom into his mouth if he kissed you.

There was a hint of something in the air and a slight movement as Alex’s stepped back away from you, his arm dropping as he puts a small pump spray bottle in your hand, curling your fingers tightly around it. “Then take this to him and tell him to test it for himself.” 

You look in confusion as Alex walks away, his long stride eating the distance between the garden and the mansion. The bottle in your hand was small and looked like a breath freshener, there was only one person you know who would use such a device, particularly one with a barcode printed on the label with a string of numbers following. In your confusion you stumble back to the mansion and make your way to your room. The boys had taken the empties and tidied before leaving; the blankets had been pulled back ready for you to slip in and sleep off whatever stupor you may have had on your return.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter to get my writing back on track.

“Henry Phillip McCoy, we need to talk… NOW!” the anger in your voice was not the reason several children in the cafeteria turned tail and ran, they were empaths and telepaths, they could FEEL the anger seething beneath your cool serpentine mask and didn’t rely on the traditional senses to pick up the danger in the room. The young man looked to where your hands lay loosely balled on the table opposite him, a small spray bottle barely concealed in one, a look of sudden surprise followed by confusion and then resignation before he picked up his napkin to dab at his mouth. “We can’t right now Freydis, I have a class to teach and you have other responsibilities this morning. My lab in an hour and fifteen? Give me time to get the reports together for you?” He excused himself quickly retreating to the dubious security of his classroom, shooting a glance to Alex in his retreat.

Sighing loudly you slumped into his chair at the table and picked at the uneaten slice of toast with eggs and bacon on Hank’s plate, much to the amusement of your friends. “Well waste not want not, am I right Professor?” you could taste the Professor’s chair from several meters away, long before you could taste the man’s scent in the air. It was nice to tease the others with your seeming telepathy at times. 

The professor smiled and placed his hand on your shoulder with a concerned smile. “If you need to discuss anything Freydis…” he left the offer hanging as you shook your head smirking. You believed that you would get your answers soon enough without the assistance of the telepath who was also Hank’s closest friend. “Nope, Professor, I got it all under control, but thanks for the offer all the same.”

***  
The hour dragged by like a snail through salt, that is to say agonizingly slow and painfully boring. You decided to finish up Hank’s breakfast and tidy the kitchen despite it not being your turn; Alex could thank you later for the assistance. You spent the last half hour of your wait trying to figure out what the initials and number sequence on the spray bottle meant. You had assumed that part of it was a batch number; maybe a manufacture date and the first two initials were pretty easy to decipher; FF were your initials but the PT still had you guessing. Dragging your body up off the chair you decided to wait at the lab since Hank was going to get you some reports to read anyway and all that kind of information was stored in his secure storage inside the lab.

You heard the sounds of multiple feet rushing towards the Lab, the sight of Hank, Logan, Jean and Alex suiting up as they ran passed you was almost as confusing as the mixed signals you picked up in their scents. Hank and Jean tasted of concern and fear while Alex’s usually confident scent was being overpowered by anger. It was Logan’s scent that had you mesmerized; his usual blend of testosterone, adamantium and cigar smoke was shot through with heated strokes of anger, pride and something you recognized as his more animalistic desire for revenge. You startled and flinched from his touch as he turned you by the shoulder and pushed you along in front of him. “You’re coming with us, Kid.” He grunted as you all made your way to the hangar where Hank hid the super-secret spy jet. “The others are already on the jet, hurry it up or we’ll leave without you.”

“I’m not cleared for field ops yet, I can’t…” You trail off as you listen to Charles’ breakdown of a situation happening in a nearby town. A demolition had gone wrong and the bodies of several homeless mutants were being dragged from the rubble. Charles has suspicions that it perhaps hadn’t been an accident and you were to escort the A Team to the site and assist with recovery of the surviving victims. You settle in to the seat between Alex and Logan and strap in, your civilian clothing a sharp contrast to their tactical suits, looking from one to the other you grimace as Charles sends soothing thoughts your way. 

As the jet rose vertically into the air you managed to call to Hank in the pilot seat “Don’t think this means you’re off the hook McCoy.” Logan looked at you with side eyes and a frown, Alex laughed and Jean looked surprised… this was going to be an interesting mission in its own right.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken so long.
> 
> The first half of chapter seven is up, with luck and a little encouragement I hope to have the second half out next week.

Freydis was exhausted. Looking around the jet she realised she wasn’t the only one; Alex was slumped in his seat, Logan was patching up a bloody and bruised Banshee and Jean and Scott were huddled with three of the surviving mutants found in the rubble. Hank was physically fine but the long hours shifting heavy rubble to retrieve far too many deceased mutants had taken their toll. He hunched in the pilot seat, focusing solely on getting them home before the sun sets and full dark descends. Darwin held a sleeping girl in his arms, she hadn’t let go of him since he pulled her from under a fallen girder in the warehouse. 

The Professor had been right when he assumed there was foul play, the mutants had been lured to the warehouse with promises of shelter and food and protection from an uncaring world. Jean had done her best to reassure the younger mutants that they would be safe with them, but it wasn’t until Freydis had an accident that they had truly believed. 

The man had come from seemingly nowhere, swinging a broken pipe at Freydis’s head, she tasted him coming and swung away before the blow could land, shouting out in panic she released a concentrated spray of venom at his face in her wake. The man, a demolition worker of some description by the look of his clothing, dropped the pipe and fell to his knees screaming, fingers clawing at his eyes and face in agony. Freydis ran to the jet in a panic and hid herself in the shadows until everyone was on board. It wasn’t long before the Professor was in her head, soothing her with his words, talking her through her guilt and shame at failing the X-Men in her first mission.

Jean made her way over to Freydis’s side, her hand resting gently on the girls shoulder. “You didn’t mean to hurt him, and from what I read from him, he really meant to hurt you and all the mutants that were there. You may have saved the rest of us with that breath Freydis. I know you saved them, I couldn’t hear them but you found them.” Jean’s soft words had brought tears to Freydis’s eyes and falling down her cheeks. The girls embraced and Jean returned to the small group huddled on the floor of the jet with Scott.

*** 

“Twenty three confirmed deaths, six more in critical condition in nearby hospitals, four walking wounded and then there are the physical injuries and psychological scars to the team. Professor, Freydis wasn’t ready to go into the field and now I have serious doubts that she’ll ever regain the confidence to go again.” Hank made his report as short and succinct as possible, frowning deeply at his own inability to help his young friend come to terms with her accidental spray job on the mission. They had confirmation that he had been treated with anti-venom designed for spitting cobra attacks and he was recovering as expected, he may lose some vision but it was better than losing his life.

“She’s distraught by her inability to control her mutation and is blaming herself for not finding the rest of the deceased in time to save them. It’s illogical and totally wrong, but she is blaming herself because she ran away. She is refusing to come out of her room Professor, she hasn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday and both Scott and Alex are worried about her.” Hank was wringing his hands impotently; the thought that both Summers’ brothers were concerned was troubling seeing as Scott barely said a word to Freydis before today.

“Hank, I know you have concerns for your friend, but I can assure you, I have every reason to believe that the accident today is the tip of the iceberg for Freydis. It is exacerbating her other concerns and making her fear herself more than she should. Perhaps there is something you could do for her; I believe that you have been working on something recently to help with her interpersonal issues. Perhaps it’s time to bite the bullet and be your own guinea pig?” Professor Xavier grinned and shooed the young mutant from the room as he turned back to his paperwork “I have faith my friend that you won’t leave your friend in purgatory much longer.”

***  
Freydis was curled into a ball, wrapped in blankets and silent tears washed down her face as Alex and Sean called through the door to her. Her guilt railed against her heart and mind making it impossible for Jean to be anywhere near her, this of course only made things worse for Freydis. Hank approached the door hesitantly, his hand resting lightly on the handle as Alex and Sean looked on. “Freydis, its Hank. You said we needed to talk, I think that a demonstration may be a better option, may I come in?”

The sound of sobbing was the only thing they heard before Hank angled his shoulder and slammed into the door, ripping it from its lock. Looking bashfully at the other two young men Hank walked into Freydis’ room and knelt down beside her swaddled form. “Frey, I need that little bottle, where is it?” Hank asked gently, his long fingers stroking the tiny portion of her cheek peeking out from the blankets. “I asked Alex to test it because I felt confident that it was 100% effective and you trust him. I trust him,” Hank paused and chuckled a little under his breath “Well I trust him to not push too far with a beautiful girl who could kill him as easily as he could kill her.” 

A scaled eye turned to glare at the scientist, a muffled Go Away rose from the blankets before the whole lumpy mound turned away to face the wall. Hank didn’t notice Alex hovering beside him until the young man laid his hand on the scientists shoulder and the small spray bottle was held at his eye level. With a grin and a wink Alex squeezed Hank’s shoulder and muttered something about good luck before leaving again, closing the door as best he could before deciding to hold it closed for the pair. Sean’s look of bewilderment caused the blonde to smirk and press a finger to his lips in a shushing motion.

Hank sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on Freydis’s blanket wrapped body, slumping his shoulders forward as he felt her stiffen in her cocoon. “Frey, we need to talk about this.” He coaxed gently, “I made a mistake and I’m sorry. I never should have asked Alex to test this for me; I should have come to you first and explained.” Hank continued in a monotone drawl to explain his spray on invention, how it worked to block the venom from being absorbed into the body via the mucous membranes of the mouth. It wasn’t a permanent solution, but an ongoing work in progress, one he was confident could be adapted to be used for longer periods of time, provided that the user didn’t eat or drink while it was in use.

Rolling to face him Freydis slowly unravelled her blanket burrito blinking warily at her friend. Sheepishly rubbing his hand through his hair Hank continued to explain how he knew she had feelings for someone and he couldn’t work out who. “If I knew who the lucky person was, I would have asked them to do the test for me; well at least if they had similar feelings to yourself I would have asked. I wouldn’t have wanted to put anyone in a position that could endanger them physically or emotionally. So what do you say Frey, should we test this out here and now and see if the effects are as good as I believe them to be?” Hank smiled shyly at his friend wiggling the tiny spray bottle in his fingers.

Unwinding from the blankets Freydis placed a soft hand on his forearm where it lay in his lap, a hint of a smile played around her lips as she sniffed the last of her tears back. “Hank, I know you mean well, and I know you want this spray to work; but what if it doesn’t and I kill you? I couldn’t live with that.”


End file.
